Storage card case and kit

ABSTRACT

A case for organizing and storing media cards having individual compartments which fit media such as, but not limited to, SD cards, memory sticks pro duo, XD memory cards, compact flash cards, memory sticks, mini SD cards, micro SD cards or any other portable media card or device that is developed in the future comprises a plurality of compartments having individual closeable doors to securely lock a single media card or device into the compartment. The door of each case further comprises an area thereon onto which information can be written to identify the contents. In addition, the cases further comprise means for stacking multiple cases onto each other. A kit containing at least one case and removable identification devices which can be placed directly onto the media cards and/or mini envelopes into which the media devices can be placed onto which the contents of each media card can be written.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to apparatus for the storage of, a plurality of portable media within a case.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently there are a plurality of different types of portable media. By way of example and not limitation, there are SD cards, memory sticks pro duo, XD memory cards, compact flash cards, memory sticks, mini SD cards, micro SD cards. New media devices are constantly being developed all of the time. The one characteristic that all of these devices have in common is that they are all portable and compact. Thus, there is a need for storage devices that are capable of securely storing all of these different types of media. (As used herein, media and media devices shall be used interchangeably.)

As more and more media cards are accumulated, there is a need to organize them without having to put them into a computer to determine what is contained on each card. This can be a time consuming process. Therefore, there is also a need for a storage case in which the contents of all of the media can be easily and quickly ascertained without the use of a computer.

SUMMARY OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a storage case is provided that comprises at least two compartments, wherein each compartment can fit a media device, the compartment comprising a closeable door to securely lock the media device into place. In a preferred embodiment, the door of each compartment further comprises an area thereon onto which information can be placed to identify the contents of that individual compartment. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each storage card case has dimples on the top of the storage card case and dimples on the bottom thereof. In one preferred embodiment, the dimples of each case are configured such that when multiple storage card cases are stacked onto each other, the top dimples of each case fit into the bottom, dimples of another case. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, each case is configured such that when multiple storage card cases are stacked onto each other, they nest one on top of the other. The storage card case of the present invention also includes a means to lock each door of each compartment to secure the media device inside. In a preferred embodiment, the locking means comprise plastic grooves on each compartment, whereby the corresponding doors of each compartment lock into the corresponding plastic grooves. However a notch or other means known in the art for locking the doors of each compartment mechanically can be used.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the storage card cases are put together into a kit which has at least one storage card case having at least two individual compartments, wherein each compartment can fit a media device, the compartment comprising a closeable door to securely lock the media device into place; and at least two of writable devices which can be removably applied directly to the media device enclosed in each compartment. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the kit further comprises multiple storage card cases. In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, each compartment of each storage card case is color coded. In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, some of the doors of each storage card case open from the top, while other doors open from the bottom. Alternatively, some of the doors of each storage card case may open from the left side or from the right side.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description of the invention will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings, where like numerals refer to like parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment storage card case of the present invention showing a compartment door open in phantom.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1 with two compartment doors open for compartments containing media devices.

FIG. 3 is an exploded side view showing the storage card cases of FIG. 1 stacked onto each other.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following descriptions of the invention, terms such as “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “side,” and the like are used herein merely for ease of description and refer to the orientation of the components as shown in the Figures.

Generally, the present invention may be briefly described as follows. Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of the storage case 10 of the present invention is shown comprising at least two or more compartments 12. Each compartment has a corresponding individual closeable door 14 that can securely lock the storage media device that is to be placed into each compartment. In a preferred embodiment, the locking mechanism comprised a plastic groove 16 into which the edge 18 of the door 14 fits, thereby snap locking the door into place, however, any mechanical locking mechanism known in the art can be used. In each case, 10, each compartment 12 preferably can snuggly fit any type of portable storage medium such as, but not limited to, an SD card, memory stick pro duo, XD memory card, compact flash card, memory stick, mini SD card, micro SD card. Further, as additional small media devices are developed, these too can fit into the compartments, provided that they are of suitable size.

In one embodiment, the doors 14 of each compartment are hinged such that they open either from the top or from the bottom as shown in FIG. 2. However, in other embodiments of the storage card case, all of the compartments may open only from the top or only from the bottom, or may alternate between opening from the top and from the bottom, or may open from either side or may open from a combination of the left side and the right side.

In a preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each door has a silk screened area 20 thereon so that the user may write information thereon such as the date, content and ID # of the media device contained in that compartment. In the same and other embodiments, each storage compartment may be color coded. Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, the doors 14 of each compartment may be clear so that the media device within each compartment may be viewed.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the storage card cases has dimples thereon. In one preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the case has small inward dimples 22 on the top thereof and small outward dimples on the bottom thereof (not shown) for stacking multiple card cases as shown in FIG. 3. However, in other embodiments, the cases may have the dimples reverse such that the bottom has small inward dimples and the top has small outward dimples. In addition, in other embodiments the dimples may be within any of the other areas of the card and may comprise corresponding inward and outward notches. Thus, any type of nesting mechanism known in the art may be used.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the storage card cases may come as part of a kit. The kit includes at least one storage card case 10 and removable stickers, sticky notes, static cling friction stickers or any other removable labeling device known in the art (not shown) which can be applied directly onto the portable media devices. Thus, in addition to placing identifying information on the door of the compartment, a user can place identifying and other information about each media device directly on the media device. In addition to or lieu of the removable labeling devices, mini envelopes (not shown) may be provided in the kit, such that each media device may be placed into a mini envelope onto which identifying information may be written. Also, in other embodiments of the kit, multiple storage cases 10 are provided.

The presently disclosed embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein. The embodiments and methods described above are exemplary embodiments and methods of the present invention. Those skilled in the art may now make numerous uses of, and departures from, the above-described embodiments and methods without departing from the inventive concepts disclosed herein. Thus, the construction of the embodiments and the steps of the methods disclosed herein are not limitations of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is to be defined solely by the scope of the following claims. 

1. A storage card case comprising: at least first and second individual compartments, wherein each compartment can fit a media device, first and second closeable doors to securely lock the media device in the first and second compartments, wherein the first and second doors include a date area and a memo area thereon onto which identifying information can be placed to identify the media device in the respective compartment, a central member disposed between the first and second compartments, wherein the first and second closeable doors are hingedly connected to the central member such that they are opposed to one another, a plurality of writable devices having a top and a bottom, wherein the writable devices include adhesive on the bottom thereof such that they can be adhered directly to the media device enclosed in each compartment, wherein the first and second compartments contain first and second media devices respectively therein, wherein the first media device has a first writable device adhered thereto that includes identifying information about the first media device, wherein the second media device has a second writable device adhered thereto that includes identifying information about the second media device, wherein the identifying information about the first media device is different than the identifying information about the second media device, wherein the memo area of the first door includes identifying information thereon, and wherein the identifying information on the memo area of the first door is similar to the identifying information on the first writable device.
 2. The storage card case of claim 1, wherein the date area and the memo area on each of the doors include an area therebetween that is transparent.
 3. The storage card case of claim 1, further comprising means for nesting, wherein when multiple storage card cases are stacked onto each other, they nest securely onto each other.
 4. The storage card case of claim 1 further comprising means to lock each door on its respective compartment.
 5. The storage card case of claim 1, further comprising plastic grooves on each compartment, whereby the corresponding doors of each compartment lock into the corresponding plastic grooves.
 6. The storage card case of claim 1, wherein each compartment is color coded.
 7. The storage card case of claim 1 wherein the doors are transparent.
 8. The storage card case of claim 1, wherein the memo and date areas are silk screened.
 9. The storage card case of claim 1, further comprising first dimples on the top of the storage card case and second dimples on the bottom thereof, wherein when multiple storage card cases are stacked onto each other, the second dimples of each case fit into the first dimples of another case.
 10. The storage card case of claim 1 further comprising third and fourth compartments and third and fourth respective closeable doors, wherein the central member extends between the third and fourth compartments, wherein the third and fourth closeable doors are hingedly connected to the central member such that they are opposed to one another, and wherein the first compartment is adjacent the third compartment and the second compartment is adjacent the fourth compartment.
 11. A storage card case kit comprising: at least one storage card case, comprising at least first and second individual compartments, wherein each compartment can fit a media device, wherein the first and second compartments include first and second closeable doors respectively to securely lock the media device into the compartment, wherein the first and second doors include a date area and a memo area thereon onto which identifying information can be placed to identify the media device in the respective compartment; and at least first and second writable devices having a top and a bottom, wherein the writable devices include adhesive on the bottom thereof such that they can be adhered directly to the media device enclosed in each compartment, wherein the first writable device is adapted to be adhered to a first media device in the first compartment and to include identifying information about the first media device, wherein the second writable device is adapted to be adhered to a second media device in the second compartment and to include identifying information about the second media device, wherein the identifying information about the first media device is different than the identifying information about the second media device, wherein the memo area of the first door is adapted to include identifying information thereon, and wherein the identifying information on the memo area of the first door is similar to the identifying information on the first writable device.
 12. The storage card case kit of claim 11, further comprising multiple storage card cases.
 13. (canceled)
 14. The storage card case kit of claim 12, further comprising means for nesting each of the storage card cases together, wherein when the multiple storage card cases are stacked onto each other, they fit securely on top of each other.
 15. The storage card case kit of claim 11, wherein each storage card case further comprises plastic grooves on each compartment, whereby the corresponding doors of each compartment lock into the corresponding plastic groove.
 16. The storage card case kit of claim 12, wherein each compartment of each storage card case is color coded.
 17. (canceled)
 18. The storage card case kit of claim 11, wherein the areas on each compartment door are silk screened.
 19. The storage card case kit of claim 12, further comprising first dimples on the top of each of the storage card cases and second dimples on the bottoms thereof, wherein when multiple storage card cases are stacked onto each other, the second dimples of each case fit into the first dimples of another case.
 20. The storage card case kit of claim 11, wherein each compartment has a top and wherein at least some of the doors of the compartments open from the top.
 21. A method of storing a digital media device, the method comprising the steps of: providing a kit that includes a storage card case that comprises a bottom portion that includes at least first and second individual compartments, wherein each compartment can fit a digital media device, first and second doors hingedly connected to the bottom portion, wherein the first and second doors are adapted to secure a media device in the first and second compartments, and at least a first label, removing the digital media device from a camera, placing the first label on the digital media device, writing information on the first label, placing the digital media device into the first compartment, and closing the first door.
 22. The storage card case of claim 1 wherein the memo area is larger than the date area. 